Matthew McConaughey Says Wife Camila Alves Played Major Role in Decision to Co-Own Soccer Team

Matthew McConaughey/Instagram

Matthew McConaughey's love for soccer didn't come until late in the game.

The actor, 51, who is a part owner of the Major League Soccer club Austin FC, revealed that it wasn't until marrying his wife Camila Alves McConaughey, 39, that he gained a strong interest in the sport.

"I played a little a bit of soccer as a youngster but soccer was not my game," Matthew told Entertainment Tonight in a recent interview. "But then I marry this woman and she is from Brazil. If you are going to marry a Brazilian woman, soccer is not something you talk about, soccer is something in your blood."

The Oscar winner, who shares children Levi, 12, Vida, 11, and Livingston, 8 with Camila, explained that soccer has become an "important" part of their household.

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"So my kids pick it up, so I pick it up … It became important to me that way. And then a friend opened up an opportunity for me to come on as a co-owner with them and I said yes," he told the outlet.

After visiting pal Will Ferrell's Los Angeles FC team (Ferrell is co-owner), who Austin FC will play in their first game Saturday, Matthew said he realized he "loved" the "wild, intense, fun" atmosphere and was ready to invest in his own team.

"Let's go, let's build this thing and hand it off to our children, and hopefully they hand it off to their children," he said.

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Matthew explained in the interview that his new club is the city's first professional sports franchise and the "first time our city, Austin, can root for a team."

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"The city's got the fever. We got the fever. We've had the fever for soccer long before FC even got here," he said to Entertainment Tonight.

Matthew said his kids also have the "soccer fever" and have already started to "whoop" him in the game.

"They got the momma's balance not the dad's balance," he said. "It's already gotten to that stage. We go in the backyard, it was just a couple years ago where if I really tried, I could school 'em, and it's starting to happen the other way now…They're starting to whoop me."